How to Create Partition Image Backup and Restore Using Clonezilla

Image backup is a process which creates a copy of a disk partition or the entire disk. The result is a single file
that is called an "image". This is the difference between image backup and file (or data) backup where selected
files are copied.

Image backup is useful for:

System restore after a disk failure

System restore after a scheduled disc change

System restore after a failed upgrade of the the operating system

System restore after accidental deletion of important system files

System restore after malicious intervention (hacking, viruses etc)

and rarely for selective file recovery, provided that the images can be attached to the file
system (mounted).

Clonezilla is a Free and Open Source bootable
GNU/Linux distribution
for disk or partition imaging and cloning. There are two versions available:

Clonezilla can be used in almost every Opearting System (Microsoft Windows, Linux, Unix, Mac etc). For detailed
features
and some limitations read this.

Backup

This is the first step, where an image of disk partitions will be created (one image per each partition). So, insert
Clonezilla Live CD and reboot your system. From boot menu (usually pressing DEL during boot), select boot from
CD. Of course, you may use a bootable USB, if you prefer.

If you perform this operation for first time, create a (top level) directory in the disk you want your images to be
saved (in my case clonezilla_athena) in sda8 partition.

After boot, you have to select language and keymap. Afterwards, select device-image option, which is more
safe than device-device (directly copy
from one disk to another)

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Where you want Clonezilla to save your image? To save this in local device select local_dev

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Clonezilla will scan your disks...

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Select the partition where your image will be saved. In my case sda8

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Select a directory in the previous selected partition (must be already existed)

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Select Expert mode

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Select saveparts to save a partition

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Give a name for your image. A directory will be created with this name, which will contain all image files.

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For example, when I save the boot partition, I give this name

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Select the local partition you want to save (for example sda1 which is my boot partition)

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Tell Clonezilla which tools you prefer to use to clone the selected partition

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Set extra parameters. Remark: -j2 Clone the hidden data between MBD and 1st partition is needed only when
you clone your boot partition.

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Select compression level

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Set a number larger than 10 to avoid split image in multiple files

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In this step I set 2000000

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Select Yes, check the saved image

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Select the first option here

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just continue...

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just continue...

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just continue...

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If everything went OK you will see the folder you selected previously which contains your image

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And here are the contents of this folder (actually, more than one files have been created)

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Repeat this procedure for every other partition you want to save.

Restore

Here are the steps you have to follow, when you need to restore one or more saved partition images.

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